This document relates to content delivery.
The Internet enables access to a wide variety of content items, e.g., video and/or audio files, web pages for particular subjects, and news articles. Such access to these content items has likewise enabled opportunities for targeted advertising. For example, content items of particular interest to a user can be identified by an advertising server and syndicated to a publisher, thereby allowing advertisers to extend their marketing reach by distributing advertisements to additional partners. For example, third-party online publishers can place an advertiser's text or image advertisements on web pages that have content related to the advertisement. As the users are likely interested in the particular content on the publisher webpage, they are also likely to be interested in the product or service featured in the advertisement. Accordingly, such targeted advertisement placement can help drive online customers to the advertiser's website.
Publishers of content can also be compensated for the advertising space provided for the advertisement. However, there exist many disparate advertising services with different pricing structures, making it difficult for publishers to determine whether they are being compensated adequately for the advertising space sold to advertisers.